Essay/Term paper: Essay on the american colonies

Essay, term paper, research paper:  American History

Essay on Colonies



 



The New England and Southern Colonies were both settled largely by the



English. By 1700, the regions had evolved into two distinct societies.



 



The southern colonies have characteristics that are the antithesis of



the New England colonies attributes. New England was colonized for Freedom



of Worship and freedom of political thought. The Southern colonies were



developed for freedom of economic opportunity. The New England colonies had



aspirations for a distinct society, where they could show their homeland,



how a country should be run. The southern colonies had goals for



mercantilism, and increasing the prosperity of England. The New England



colonies were based on theocracy, where the state forced the people to live



and worship in an orthodox way. The southern colonies(Virginia) had a



government based on a royal government, where the state was governed by a



governor and council named by the king, and an elected assembly chosen by



the people. Finally, the New England colonies wanted to establish the



colony for religious motives, while the southern colonies were established



for economic motives.



 



England and the rebels of England (Pilgrims), made up the New England



and southern colonies. "God Almighty in his most holy and wise providence



hath so disposed of the condition of mankind, in all times some must be



rich, some poor, some high and eminent in power and dignity, other mean and



in subjection. Yet we must be knit together in this work as one man."(John



Winthrop, A Model of Christian Charity) This statement by John Winthrop,



demonstrates importance of religion in the lives of the New England



settlers. "We must delight in each other, make others' conditions our own,



rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having



before our eyes our commission and community in the work, our community as



members of the same body." (John Winthrop, A Model of Christian Charity).



The use of the word "together" and "community" indicates that the New



England settlers were of a communal nature, they were less individualistic



than the southern colonies. The New England colonies were based on



religious freedom, thus their society was reflected the religion.



 



"These underwritten names are to be transported to Virginia, embarked in



the Merchant's Hope, Hugh Weston, Master, per examination by the minister



of Gravesend touching upon their conformity to the Church discipline of



England, and have taken oaths of allegiance and supremacy:" (Ship's List of



Emigrants Bound for Virginia). The use of the word "Master", shows, that



the southern colonies were more of a individualistic state rather than a



communal state(New England). This individualism was the effect of the



motivation of the southern colonies for economic opportunity.



 



"We whose names are underwritten, being by God's providnce engaged together



to make a plantation...." (Articles of Agreement). The New England



settlers, again were of a communal nature, in how they are binding together



for the good of the community. "We intend by God's grace, as soon as we can



with all convenient speed, to procure some Godly and faithful minster with



whom we purpose to join in church covenant to walk in the ways of



Christ."(Articles of Agreement). The statement above, shows how the



minister, was the head of the theocracy, of the small communities.



Furthermore, the "Articles of Agreement", demonstates the importance of



sharing within the community. This article, was another product of the



motivation of the New England settlers for religious freedom.



 



"This court... in the interim recommends [that] all tradesmen and laborers



consider the religious end of their callings...". The puritans believed



everyone had a specific duty in life, something that one was proficient at.



Almost all the mores and society itself radiated from religion, as a



result, many people who couldn't endure the rigidity of such a society were



exiled and the dissenters created new societies.



 



"The worst[among us were the gold seekers who]with their golden promises



made all men their slaves in hope of recompenses. There was no talk... but



dig gold, wash gold, refine gold, load gold.." (Captain John Smith, History



of Virginia). The southern colonists were a people who settled in the



southern colonies for econmic motives. The people were more materialistic,



and individualistic, thus greed prevailed. Conversely, the New England



settlers were of a spiritual nature, and were dispassionate in



materialistic matters. The drive of the southern colonists were toward



economic prosperity.



 



"For by our nearest computation we leave at our backs as many



servants(besides Negroes) as there are friedman to defend the shores and



all our frontiers [against] the Indians....[This] gives men fearful



apprehensions of the danger they leave their estates and families in, while



they are drawn from their houses to defend the borders."(Governor Berkeley



and His Council on Their Inability to defend Virginia Against a Dutch



Attack). The southern colonists were protective of their land, and were



seeking more and more land. The colonists' idea was for more economic



prosperity coming from more and more land. The southern colonists were



motivated for economic prosperity.



 



"Let us observe the sudden rise of their estates...[compared] with the



quality in which they first entered this country." (Bacons "Manifesto").



This statement shows how the southern colonists had progressed by arriving



to America because of their economic motivation. The advancement is a



result of economic drive toward prosperity.



 



The colonies were settled chiefly by the same race of people. The



distinct quality that seperated the southern colonists from the New England



colonists is that the motivation of the two were distinct, and as a result



two colonies diverged in their goals. The southern colonists were aiming



for economic prosperity; the presence of vast quantities of cheap land in



America opened opportunities for economic advancement unknown in



overcrowded Europe. The religious freedom was a major contribution because



in Europe religious toleration was almost unknown, and dissenters were



looked down upon.